Uncertain State
Group Exhibition - Photography & the crisis in Ireland
How is photography responding to the crisis? Uncertain State looks at how photographic artists are representing this period of austerity and uncertainty in Ireland. Their work addresses important issues at the heart of where we are now: contested and hidden histories, effects of the global financial crisis and the radically altered social and physical landscape. The ten artists in Uncertain State go beyond surface readings to reflect emerging concerns in post celtic tiger Ireland: the treatment of asylum seekers; institutional abuse; sexual abuse; emigration; the effects of the property crash; identity; disadvantage & marginalisation; and the legacy of conflict.
Asylum Archive documents the housing provision for Asylum Seekers around Ireland in the series Direct Provision Hostels;
Eoin O Conaill’s new work Reprieve surveys green field sites saved from planned development by the property crash;
Doug DuBois compelling body of work My Last Day at Seventeen offers a somewhat fictional documentary account of adolescence in Cobh, Cork;
David Farrell’s An Archaeology of the Present records the topography of post crisis Ireland;
Kim Haughton’s sensitive investigation of child abuse - In Plain Sight - presents powerful collaborative portraits of abuse victims;
Paddy Kelly’s Bogland photographs of IRA Training sites reflect his attempt to emotionally identify with his father while addressing issues of identity, memory and place;
Lauren McGookin uses photography to gain an understanding of her own community’s Loyalist culture in her series Tales and Whispers;
Paul Nulty charts his Mother’s experience as a returning emigrant attempting to settle again in the midlands in his series I’m Looking at our Place;
Pete Smyth revisits his portrait of people in his own community in Tallaght after a period of 21 years in his series A View from the Dearth;
Una Spain records poignant traces from St. Brigid’s de-commissioned Victorian institution for the mentally ill in Ballinasloe.
The exhibition in the Gallery of Photography Ireland
Uncertain State is not a definitive survey – the work on show presents a brief insight into the broad range of photographic responses to where we are now in Ireland. It is a keynote exhibition of the PhotoIreland Festival 2013.
This exhibition is presented as part of the Temple Bar Photography Summer School.. The Temple Bar Photography Summer School is an initiative of: Gallery of Photography, Temple Bar Cultural Trust and Dublin City Council, in partnership with Dublin Institute of Technology Photography Programme and The National Photographic Archive/The National Library of Ireland. 28-30 June 2013. Talks on 28 & 29 June are kindly hosted by Project Arts Centre.
Temple Bar Summer School Talks
About the Temple Bar Photography Summer School: June 28, 29 & 30
The inaugural Temple Bar Photography Summer School presents a 3-day programme of talks, events, workshops and an accompanying curated exhibition. The theme of the Summer School is “Uncertain State”. It provides a platform for lively discussion and debate on the role of photography and visual culture, exploring the uncertain state of contemporary Ireland. The programme is designed to encourage a wider enjoyment and understanding of the cultural value of photography. The Summer School will consist of 4 key elements:
· Two days of programmed Summer School talks by leading artists, academics, historians and writers. The talks will explore how contemporary photographers are responding to this moment of uncertainty and instability in contemporary Ireland. Venue: Project Arts Centre.
Temple Bar Summer School Talks
· “Uncertain State” group exhibition in Gallery of Photography.
A one day programme of workshops in Gallery of Photography will present:
o Masterclass with award winning PPAI Photographer of the Year, Mark Condren.
o Bright Futures panel discussion exploring new opportunities for photographers.
o Photo Tour of Dublin – walking workshop.
· Outdoor evening screening in Meeting House Square of the open submission projection exhibiton Uncertain Futures specially curated or the Gallery of Photography by Small World.
The exhibition in the Gallery of Photography Ireland
The Temple Bar Photography Summer School is an initiative of: Gallery of Photography, Temple Bar Cultural Trust and Dublin City Council, in partnership with Dublin Institute of Technology Photography Programme and The National Photographic Archive/The National Library of Ireland. Dates: 28-30 June 2013.
About PhotoIreland Festival
PhotoIreland is an Irish organisation dedicated to promote critical thinking around Photography, and a deeper engagement with the Visual Arts, to enhance a wider visual literacy. The organisation celebrates a festival every year in July, highlighting through a proposed theme, the works of national and international artists. For information on the PhotoIreland programme for 2013 visit http://photoireland.org/
Exhibition dates
21st June - 11th August 2013
Gallery information
Opening hours
Open 6 days:
Tuesday - Saturday, 11am - 5pm
Open Mondays by appointment for ongoing education, artists archiving and training.
Closed Sundays
Closed for bank holidays and public holidays
Admission is free
Find us
Gallery of Photography Ireland
Meeting House Square,
Temple Bar,
Dublin D02 X406, Ireland